Black Out
by duckgirl566
Summary: She loved the feel of a smooth snare drum. He loved a steady rhytm, controlling the beat. He loved his guitar, and all the screaming the songs called for. She loved the music that took away the pain. They were: BLACK OUT
1. Overture

**Yay! A new story! Now, I know you people are looking at the scroll bar on the right and thinking, "Holy Crap, are all the chapters going to be this long?" My answer for you-hell no. I just wanted the beginning of this to be so awesome, so it ended up this long. All 3,802 words and 11 pages of it. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA!

* * *

**

"_In the middle of a gun fight...  
In the center of a restaurant...  
They say, "Come with your arms raised high!"  
Well, they're never gonna get me,  
Like a bullet through a flock of doves...  
To wage this war against your faith in me,  
Your life...will never be the same.  
On your mother's eyes, say a prayer...say a prayer! _

Now, but I can't  
And I don't know  
How we're just two men as God had made us,  
Well, I can't...well, I can!  
Too much, too late, or just not enough of this  
Pain in my heart for your dying wish,  
I'll kiss your lips again.

They all cheat at cards and the checkers are lost,  
My cellmate's a killer, they made me do push-ups (in drag)  
But nobody cares if you're losing yourself...am I losing myself!  
Well, I miss my mom,  
Will they give me the chair,  
Or lethal injection, or swing from a rope if you dare;  
Ah, nobody knows...all the trouble I've seen!

Now, but I can't  
And I don't know  
How we're just two men as God had made us,  
Well, I can't...well, I can!  
Too much, too late, or just not enough of this  
Pain in my heart for your dying wish,  
I'll kiss your lips again.

To your room...  
What they ask of you  
Will make you want to say, "So long..."  
Well, I don't remember,  
Why remember...YOU!

Do you have the keys to the hotel!  
'Cause I'm gonna string this motherfucker on fire! (FIRE!)

Life is but a dream for the dead,  
And well I, I won't go down by myself,  
But I'll go down with my friends.  
Now now now now... (I can't explain)  
Now now now... (I can't complain)  
Now now, yeah!"

The final chords played out of Inuyasha's guitar as the lyrics faded. Sango was breathing hard, her drum sticks still raised in the air, not having the energy to keep them up or take them down. Miroku dropped his pick on the ground. The second it hit, the audience erupted on a tide of screaming, cheering, and other nonsense that brought smiles to their faces. They brought their instruments off stage, though the drum set stayed behind, Sango gripping her sticks. They were the last on stage, so they announcer walked on after them. Other bands crowded around, watching, waiting. Soon Sango was screaming. They had won. A recording contract with Reprise Records and one-hundred thousand dollars.

* * *

"_Think of me  
think of me fondly,  
when we've said goodbye.  
Remember me  
once in a while -  
please promise me  
you'll try.When you find  
that, once  
again, you long  
to take your heart back  
and be free -  
if you  
ever find  
a moment,  
spare a thought  
for me _

We never said  
our love  
was evergreen,  
or as unchanging  
as the sea -  
but if  
you can still  
remember  
stop and think  
of me . . .

Think of all the things  
we've shared and seen -  
don't think about the things  
which might have been . . .

Think of me,  
think of me waking,  
silent and  
resigned.

Imagine me,  
trying too hard  
to put you  
from my mind.

Recall those days  
look back  
on all those times,  
think of the things  
we'll never do -  
there will  
never be  
a day, when  
I won't think  
of you . .

We never said  
our love  
was evergreen,  
or as unchanging  
as the sea -  
but please  
promise me,  
that sometimes  
you will think of me!"

The members of the audience applauded Kagome, and she curtsied thankfully. The director stood up, and the others on his casting committee followed suit. He cleared his throat, making all the hopeful auditioners look up from what they were doing.

"Miss Higurashi…" Kagome held her breath, making a silent wish, "we would be honored, if you would grace this stage with your voice. Please, be out Christine."

A tear rolled down her face, as all she could do was nod, too happy to speak.

* * *

That was four years ago.

* * *

"Oh come on Inuyasha, I don't want to get lost. You know this city like that back of your hand. I just need to visit for one hour, that's all. Besides, since the Battle of the Bands, I haven't seen Kohaku for more than a few times. Since we're in New York, why can't you just sit there for one hour while I talk to him? That's all, just one hour. Please?" Sango gave him the puppy dog eyes, knowing it would make that hanyou that was like her big brother melt. 

"Fine, but only for an hour. Why can't your fiancé take you? What's he doing?"

Sango rolled her eyes at the hanyou as she grabbed her coat off the hook in their hotel room, hers and Miroku's room conjoined to Inuyasha's, and handed him his.

"He was going to, but someone needed to go talk with the record label about our next album. Mike (their manager) was talking about changes, so someone needed to set the record straight." They stepped out into the busy street, and into the fall breeze. "And we both knew that _you_ would only make things worse if you went." She smiled and playfully punched his shoulder as they walked together toward the theater.

* * *

"Kagome Higurashi, for the role of, "The Lady of the Lake". You may begin Kagome." 

The woman turned to look at the piano player, giving him a nod. Kagome knew the song was silly, but she had seen how the Lady of the lakes before her had preformed it, so she knew she was ready.

Well, and that her roommate cracked up every time she sang it.

"_What, ever happened, to my part?  
It was exciting at the start.  
Now we're halfway through Act 2  
And I've had nothing yet to do. _

I've been offstage for far too long  
It's ages since I had a song.  
This is one unhappy Diva  
The producer's have deceived her.  
There is nothing I can sing from my heart.  
Whatever Happened to My Part?

I am sick of my career  
Always starting second gear  
Up to here, with frustration and with fears.  
I've no Grammy no Rewards,  
I've no Tony Awards,  
I'm Constantly replaced with Britney Spears!

Whatever Happened to My Show?  
I was a hit, now I don't know.  
I'm with a bunch of British Knights,  
Prancing 'round in woolly tights.

I might as well go to the Pub  
They've been out searching for a shrub  
Out shopping for a Bush  
Well they can kiss my Tush  
It seems to me they've really lost the plot

Whatever Happened to My-  
I'll Call my Agent, Dammit!  
Whatever Happened to My  
Not Yours, Not Yours,  
By My,  
Part!"

The others auditioning clapped and laughed for her. The casting directors smiled and took down notes. She was fairly confident in herself. After all, her boyfriend of two years was one of them. Surely she would at least get a solo somewhere.

She walked off the stage, feeling content. She found a tall, lanky boy standing against a wall, looking over a script.

"Hey Kohaku, ready for your audition?"

He looked up and smiled. "Kagome, you were awesome! If you don't get the Lady of the Lake, then those guys are all crazy."

She smiled a giggled softly. "Thanks Kohaku. Are you ready for your Prince Herbert audition? They already have Prince Herbert's Father cast. Thomas Douglass **(A/N: Made up person. I actually own this one guys!)** is really a very funny person."

"I just hope I get it. He's playing Lancelot's Dad too. My sister's coming in to watch me, so I'll have someone to cheer me on. You'll be in the audience too, right?"

Kagome put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Of course I will Kohaku. You can count on it."

* * *

"Inuyasha, please just sit down. We have only to more people to audition before Kohaku and I really don't want to be kicked out. Your swearing about how terrible this all isn't helping." Sango chided. They sat in the dark theater seats, waiting for Kohaku to audition. 

"Kagome Higurashi, for the role of, "The Lady of the Lake". You may begin Kagome."

Inuyasha looked up to see the woman on stage nod at her accompanist to begin. What came out of her was nothing that she expected.

"_What, ever happened, to my part?  
It was exciting at the start.  
Now we're halfway through Act 2  
And I've had nothing yet to do. _

I've been offstage for far too long  
It's ages since I had a song.  
This is one unhappy Diva  
The producer's have deceived her.  
There is nothing I can sing from my heart.  
Whatever Happened to My Part?

I am sick of my career  
Always starting second gear  
Up to here, with frustration and with fears.  
I've no Grammy no Rewards,  
I've no Tony Awards,  
I'm Constantly replaced with Britney Spears!"

Inuyasha was cracking up, and Sango was holding her sides. Who knew musical theater was so funny?

"Whatever Happened to My Show?  
I was a hit, now I don't know.  
I'm with a bunch of British Knights,  
Prancing 'round in woolly tights.

I might as well go to the Pub  
They've been out searching for a shrub  
Out shopping for a Bush  
Well they can kiss my Tush  
It seems to me they've really lost the plot

Whatever Happened to My-  
I'll Call my Agent, Dammit!  
Whatever Happened to My  
Not Yours, Not Yours,  
By My,  
Part!"

"That… was…g-good!" Sango held her stomach. "Man, when this premiers, we gotta see it!"

"K-keh, whatever." Inuyasha was laughing on the inside, trying to let it not show. The girl truly had a magnificent voice.

* * *

"Naraku!" Kagome called out. Walking back to her dressing room at the other theater, she never thought she would see her fiancé. "Why aren't at the auditions? Don't you think the director of the show should be -," she caught off with a searing kiss. It was hard, making Kagome feel uncomfortable. He was overpowering her more than usual. Normally he was dominant when it came to things like kissing, but suddenly he was scary. 

"You didn't get the part," he said in a rushed tone. Kagome stood shocked.

"Nice way to soften the blow," she said and was soon caught up in another kiss, this one more hurtful than the last. He shoved his tongue inside her, making Kagome feel violated. He pulled back, but only after Kagome felt like her lungs would burst from lack of oxygen.

"What the Hell? Naraku, what's gotten into you? Are you okay?"

Without an answer, he grabbed onto her waist and led her into the dressing room. Most of her things had been taken away already, but some things remained. A couch groaned with her weight as Naraku pushed her onto her back, capturing her lips once more.

"Naraku, we can't make out now. I came to get my things. I need my stuff out of here before tomorrow."

But he wouldn't hear it. He pushed her back down and kissed her neck, nipping lightly. Each kiss burned her skin, not in a good way.

"Naraku!" she shouted to get his attention. He ripped the button-up shirt, leaving her upper-half clad in only her black bra, leaving nothing to his imagination. He began to dip his head into the junction of her when she pushed his head away with both her hands, drawing one away to slap him hard across the face.

"Naraku, what's your issue? I told you that I'm not ready to take it a step further past making out. Maybe later on, when the show's-,"

"There isn't going to be any show, Kagome." He stood up and tied his long black hair into a simple ponytail. He began buttoning his shirt. "Not for you, at least. On my part, this could make my career."

"W-what are you talking about? How could I not at least be in the chorus! I won three freaking Tony Awards for Christine! How could I be completely excluded from the show?" She slumped against the couch, sinking in her sadness. Naraku smiled and turned to look at her as soon as his shirt was on.

"It was my vote that got you kicked out Kagome."

She looked up at her boyfriend of eight months and fiancé of one in disbelief. "Why…"she asked, feeling more tears sting her eyes.

"Because I don't want to be with some bitch that won't give it up. We gave your part to someone else." He bent down, bringing his face within inches of hers. "She was probably a better ride than you would ever have been." His voice dripped with malice, turning Kagome cold.

"You…you gave it to some whore?" He slammed his fist into the wall next to her head, making her want to scream, but she only flinched.

"I gave it to one of them twenty-some women I've been bedding ever since you said 'No' all those seven months ago. You had no fucking idea how many of them wanted to fill your shoes. How many women threw themselves into my bed just hoping that they could call them my fiancé like you. But you were the lucky one, the one with the best body. You would be the one I would call my mate and get the pleasure of me fucking your brains out every night." He picked her up by her arms, thrusting her into the wall. Small tears leaked from her eyes from the pain the demon's claws inflicted. "But that wasn't good enough for you, was it? The best wasn't good enough for little Kagome, so now she's left on the street like the little whore she is. Fucking tease, that's all you are. Little bitch that likes to fuck with the minds of innocent people. You don't deserve a part in my show. You don't deserve me." He traced a circle on the area of Kagome's jeans between her legs. Her eyes grew wide, afraid for her virginity for the first time. "You don't deserve the fucking pleasure of it all. You disgust me." He dropped her and advanced for the door, opening it.

"You bastard," Kagome whispered, holding back her tears. She would never give him the pleasure of seeing her cry. He slammed the door and she heard the stomping sound of him walking away. Bruises began forming on her arms, blood coming from a few of the spots where his claws held her.

Where had she gone wrong? Where had she made the mistake? When his all began, she was just a girl with a good voice. She got the role of Christine and soon met Naraku. She knew, somewhere in the back of her mind that Naraku wasn't the one, but after dating eight months, he proposed. How could she say no? He had done so much in the way of pointing out ways to survive in the business, not as her official manager of course, but he still helped her. Who else would take her? She had made no friends really; most of them were still in Indiana, where she lived before New York. Her childhood, all the years before thirteen, in Japan was a distant memory.

She had gotten engaged, Naraku pressuring sex on her more than ever. _"I promised you my life,"_ he had said, _"I want your virginity. Haven't I proved I love you yet?"_

The love she thought was there was a lie. _I'll fall in love with him in time. Once we're husband and wife, our relationship will get stronger. This has to be love. What else could this be? He said this was love. It has to be._ It was what she repeated to herself every time she doubted it, their relationship. But it was over, it was done. The lie was over, and she had no one to run to.

Kagome pulled her coat over her destroyed shirt and grabbed the bag that remained in the room.

* * *

"I'm sorry that Kagome woman didn't show up for your audition Kohaku, but you were wonderful," Sango said, placing a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. The three were walking to the lobby of the theater, where the full cast would be announced. Inuyasha was excited, though he kept it to himself. The woman he had seen audition was beautiful, and with a voice like hers, would defiantly get the part. 

He had to know her name.

A large group of people were already there, and the stage manager cleared his throat.

"Hi everyone, my name's Mike Scholor and I'm the stage manager for most of the theater's shows. But I'm going to introduce a man who will be running this whole operation. Naraku Makai!"

Everyone began clapping, a couple "whooped". The man with long black hair and red eyes held up his arms in acceptance.

"If you're name is called, you made it. It if it isn't, get the hell out of my theater. Norbert Leo Butz, King Arthur. Michelle Carter, Lady of the Lake. I want to clear up any rumors that Kagome Higurashi is playing that role. She found herself," Naraku smiled wickedly, "unwilling to participate."

"What?" Kohaku gasped.

"What is it Kohaku?" Sango whispered. Inuyasha looked at his best friend and her brother. Concern was written on his face as name kept on being called.

"I've heard her sing before, and it was…terrible. How could Kagome refuse the part? It was all she spoke about for so long. She was so excited, and for her not to be cast…it doesn't seem right. Plus, Naraku was her fiancé. She must have had some kind of pull. I'll have to visit her place and see what's-,"

"Kohaku Taijiya, Prince Herbert."

"WHOOP!"

* * *

That was two months ago.

* * *

"I have an announcement!" Miroku cheered as he walked into the hotel room. Sango looked up from her drum pad while Inuyasha kept scribbling in his notebook, making it look like he was ignoring his best friend, though he really wasn't. 

Sango stood up and kissed her fiancée's cheek, slapping away his wondering hand. "What is it?"

"We," he said, tossing a manila envelop on the messy coffee table, "are getting a new band mate!"

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha lifted his head with an annoyed look on his face. "Like hell we are."

"No, no, listen to me." Miroku turned to Sango, hoping to get her attention. "This could be really good for us. I've been thinking we could use a new sound, and since I don't do vocals, and Sango needs singing lessons like there's no tomorrow—OW!"

"You deserved it; now continue before I castrate you."

"Yes Love. Anyway, Inuyasha is writing some sweet songs, but he needs someone to sing with, or at least harmonize with."

"I don't need nobody else!"

"Inuyasha, I'll have no problem dealing with you too."

"Yes Ma'am."

"Anyway, Mike set me up with a few people and I think I found someone worthwhile. Plus, if all three of us decide that she isn't working, she said she'll leave, no strings attached."

"Well Miroku, that sounds like—wait, SHE?" Sango's eyes grew wide and happy, and Inuyasha saw this. He stood up, making papers flutter at his feet, making a huge mess of lyrics and chords.

"No way, no more chicks. We don't need…" Inuyasha realized that he hated this woman, but he didn't even know her name.

"Kagome, Kagome Higurashi," Miroku said and Sango squealed in delight, hugging Miroku fiercely.

"I won't be alone on a smelly tour bus anymore! When do we meet her?"

"Actually, you are going shopping with her tomorrow morning Sango; I have her address with me. I think you two will hit it off quick." The couple soon engaged in a passionate kiss, making Inuyasha want to vomit. He turned and left the expensive hotel room.

_Great, just fricken' great.

* * *

_

"She's in! She's so cool guys, I had so much fun. I also had heard her sing for me and it was angelic! I couldn't believe my ears." Sango said hurriedly. Miroku nodded his head while Inuyasha just sat there, sipping his Coke or Pepsi or whatever that cute waitress set down in front of him.

"I knew you'd like her. I think she'll make a perfect addition to the band."

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed, ditching the straw altogether as he took a big swig of his soda.

"Um, excuse me?" said a small and meek voice. Before the musicians stood a petite girl with long black hair. She played with the bottom of her Hawthorne Heights T-shit, showing off her ed-studded belt that sat loosely on her dark blue jeans. Blue fingernails that had been bitten down slightly trembled softly at the hem. Her army messenger bag hung loosely off her left shoulder. Brown eyes were nervous but eager.

"What the hell do you want and where's security?" Inuyasha scoffed.

"Kagome!" Sango squealed, running to the other side of the table to hug the intruder. "Good, you made it."

"Sorry, I was running late. There were some huge idiots out on the streets today. It seems like tourists are taking over this city."

"Hey,"

"Well, it's wonderful you could meet us here," Miroku said smiling at the young girl.

"Hey,"

"We can't wait for everything to get started. Have you talked to your landlord about you apartment yet?"

"Hellooo,"

"Yes, and he said I just need to pay off my rent for the rest of this month and I can be out of there, as long as my crap is all gone by the end of the month," Kagome said, answering Sango's question as she leaned back in her chair.

"Hey!"

"What is it Inuyasha!" Sango shouted in attempt to quiet the annoying man interrupting their conversation.

"Who the hell is she!" he shouted, turning the heads of other, people dinning in the restaurant.

"Oh!" the girl gasped, blushing slightly embarrassed for her rude behavior. "I am Kagome Higurashi, and Sango invited me to join you for lunch today. It's a pleasure to meet you, Inuyasha," she said, extending a hand to him. Inuyasha scoffed at it.

"Put that away bitch."

Sounds of a woman attacking and trying to kill a man inside a New York city restaurant could be heard all around a New York block.

* * *

And this is how they became _**Black Out**_.

* * *

**Sooooooo, what did you guys think? I MUST KNOW!**


	2. I'm A Criminal

**I forgot a disclaimer in the first chapter, but here is what I want to do: put all of the dsclaimers (Because there is going to be a LOT of them) in a chapter at the end. Sound good? Good.**

* * *

"_Sister, I'm not much a poet, but a criminal  
And you never had a chance  
Love it, or leave it, you can't understand  
A pretty face, but you do so carry on,  
and on,  
and on _

I wouldn't front the scene if you paid me  
I'm just the way that the doctor made me, on,  
and on,  
and on,  
and on  
Love is the red of the rose on your coffin door  
What's life like, bleeding on the floor,  
the floor,  
the floor

You'll never make me leave  
I wear this on my sleeve  
Give me a reason to believe

So give me all your poison  
And give me all your pills  
And give me all your hopeless hearts  
And make me sick  
You're running after something  
That you'll never destroy  
If this is what you want  
Then fire at will

Preach all you want but who's gonna save me?  
I keep a gun on the book you gave me, hallelujah, lock and load  
Black is the kiss, the touch of the serpent son  
It ain't the mark or the scar that makes you one,  
and one,  
and one,  
and one

You'll never make me leave  
I wear this on my sleeve  
Give me a reason to believe

So give me all your poison  
And give me all your pills  
And give me all your hopeless hearts  
And make me sick  
You're running after something  
That you'll never destroy  
If this is what you want  
Then fire at will

You'll never make me leave  
I wear this on my sleeve  
You wanna follow something  
Give me a better cause to lead  
Just give me what I need  
Give me a reason to believe

So give me all your poison  
And give me all your pills  
And give me all your hopeless hearts  
And make me sick  
You're running after something  
That you'll never destroy  
If this is what you want  
Then fire at will

So give me all your poison (Fire at will)  
And give me all your pills  
And give me all your hopeless hearts (Fire at will)  
And make me sick  
You're running after something (Fire at will)  
That you'll never destroy  
If this is what you want (Fire at will)  
Then fire at will"

Inuyasha set down his paper he read off of, looking up at the group in front of him. "So, what do you guys think?"

Miroku scratched his head and sighed. "Good, I like it. But…"

"But what?" Inuyasha said in an annoyed tone. Sango lifted her head of from her steady gaze at the table. They were sitting in Sango's pent house, a small, but very expensive place looking out at Fifth Avenue. Kagome held her hands in her lap.

So far being in a Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-album-making, über-popular (amongst a certain crowd), world-touring, and highly respected punk/rock band would be more…exciting.

Miroku had called everyone to get together and out the finishing touches on a few songs for their up-coming album. Mike **(their manager, anyone remember that?)** would be coming over later along with a few people from the record company to discuss how Kagome would be introduced to the public. For now, they all wanted to work together, without the pesky manager.

And it was boooooooorrrrriinnngg.

"It seems like something just doesn't fit right, like…I don't know." Sango sighed and too another swig of lemonade. Store bought, of course. Sango wasn't exactly a good housekeeper, but she didn't like the idea of having some maid take care of every.little.thing. for her. This explained the call Kagome got, begging her to come and help pick-up the place.

"Well, if you two can come up with something better, go for it. I've been screwing around with this song for too freaking long anyway." Inuyasha poured himself another glass of lemonade and took a long drink of it. Setting it back down on the oak dinner table, he leaned back in his chair, falling backwards. "Ow."

Sango and Miroku looked down at the fallen rock star. Kagome reached across the table to snatch the piece of paper Inuyasha had written the lyrics on and took his pencil. She scribbled something on it hurriedly.

"Here, read it now, the chorus, I mean," Kagome said nervously, giving the paper to Sango.

"_So give me all your poison  
And give me all your pills  
And give me all your hopeless hearts  
And make me ill  
You're running after something  
That you'll never kill  
If this is what you want  
Then fire at will_. What did you change Kagome, because I like it."

"Well no one do anything to help me up or anything."

"Shut up Inuyasha. What'd you do Kagome?" asked Miroku, kicking his friend in the side playfully, since Inuyasha was an east target and everything.

"I only changed sick to ill, and destroy to kill. I thought it would make sense for it to rhyme since the rest of the song did," Kagome answered, rolling the pencil across the table to Inuyasha. However, since Inuyasha was not upright to take his pencil, it rolled of the table to land smack dab on his forehead. The lead singer stood up with a red, angry, and annoyed face. "Oops."

"What the hell was that?"

"SHUT UP INUYASHA!" Miroku and Sango shouted at the same time.

"God danmit! Let's just look at _Niki FM_ already!" Inuyasha placed his chair back to a normal position and took out the sheet music for _Niki FM._

"Inuyasha, we already looked over that one, can't we do something else?" Sango whined.

"She's right Inuyasha," Miroku said.

"My, my, my, is my little group having a creative spat?" They all turned around to look at Mike, dressed in his Armani suit and $1400 sunglasses. He was cheesier than a bag of Cheetos.

"Oh hi Mike, no, Inuyasha's just being more of an a-hole than normal," Miroku said, gesturing to a chair next to him. A man they all recognized (except Kagome, being a newbie and all) from the record company.

"Well, I wouldn't dwell on it too much. Now, down to business. How we get Kagome 'out there'."

"We," the man from the record company began, "would like to get you guys on the cover of the _Rolling Stone, _and maybe have VH1 and MTV do something on you guys. Chances are a magazine like _CosmoGirl!_ or _Seventeen_ will want to do an article on Kagome, but we get it to be Kagome _and _you Sango, so Kagome's coming to the band will seem more subtle. We have a few songs with Kagome singing with you, Inuyasha, and-,"

"Wait one God Danm minute! We are not using any songs some over-paid writer writes. I don't care if they're professionals, we wrote a lot of hit singles and we are no going to start having you guys take over," Inuyasha said. The rest of the group was silent. Miroku cleared his throat loudly and sat up straighter in his chair.

"What Inuyasha means is we don't want to sell out. It's not cool. We can write and compose our own music, as we have done in the past. We were successful doing so before and can continue that." He turned his head to look at Kagome, then back at Mike and the record company guy. "Just because we have changed a little, doesn't mean we aren't going to stick to our values anymore."

Sango squirmed in her seat and Kagome blushed, embarrassed at all the trouble she caused.

"Well, you four better come up with some Danm-good stuff before you get to the studio, or else you'll all be dropped." He stood up and walked toward the door. "Mike, it would be wise for you to come with me, seeing as my limousine is your ride."

He stood and left with him, leaving the four alone again.

"Those bastards," Inuyasha muttered.

"Hey guys, I think Inuyasha and Kagome should go work on a song or something for, you know, the next album," Sango said hurriedly, standing up and taking their glasses to the sink.

"But I thought we said we'd work all day together?" Kagome asked, though she could tell why Sango wanted them all to leave.

"I ain't gonna-," Inuyasha started.

"JUST GO!"

Miroku stood up but Sango put a hand on his shoulder. "Miroku, honey, I have something I need to talk to you about. Alone. With them gone."

Kagome chuckled, leaning close to Sango's ear. "Don't worry Sango, I like em' a little assertive too. Have fun!" Sango blushed and Kagome's smile grew wider. "Come on Inuyasha, we can go back to my place. Bye Sango, Miroku!" Kagome pushed Inuyasha out the door and into the hallway, Sango slamming the door behind them. Sounds of a table scraping against a hard floor and a chair being knocked over could be shamelessly heard. Miroku startled yelp sounding throughout the whole building.

"What was that all about?" Inuyasha asked Kagome as she pushed the down button on the elevator.

"Oh, just a woman knowing what she wants," Kagome said with a smirk as the doors closed on them.

* * *

**Tried to put a little humor in there. I can't wait to post again. **


	3. Falling Forever

**IT WAS MY B-DAY YESTERDAY! YAY! I am now 14 and lovin' it. I got a black 2gb iPod nano yesterday, since that was my actual B-Day. I went out with my friends and we ate a WONDERFUL lunch and saw RV, slightly predictable but still pretty funny. I hope everyone enjoys this; it is my b-day gift to you.**

* * *

"I know my apartment isn't all that great, but my money has been a little tight lately. Plus a lot of my crap is in boxes," Kagome explained. She didn't know why, but this man made her nervous. Normally Kagome wouldn't care what her home looked like when someone came over, but he was different. She didn't have guys over at her apartment often. _Not since…no. Don't think about that. Not now. You have work to do._

"Please, mine's a hell of a lot worse than this." He sat down on a wooden dining chair, since Kagome didn't have a couch. She grabbed a few pieces of paper and turned on his keyboard and sat on a small plastic bench in front of it.

"I hope you don't mind," she said, pulling a few papers of sheet music out of a folder as he set up his guitar, "but I…I wrote a song. It's not very good, but I thought since we'd need a few songs with me in it, I might as get a jump start on composing some."

"Whatever, let me see it," he said gruffly, not even looking up at her. She grew red in the face, angry he was basically ignoring almost everything she said. _Why the hell do I want to impress him? He's not so great._ Kagome shook her head and handed him the sheet music and sat down at her piano. He skimmed over it and set it down on a music stand. "You wanna try it?"

Kagome shuddered, shocked and surprised. A few random notes came from her keyboard. "W-what?"

He sighed and his tone got a little harsher. "I said, do you wanna try it?" With a meek nod, Kagome agreed, realizing this would be the first time he had ever heard her sing.

And she was nervous as hell.

So she began to sing.

(Kagome: _How can you see_ Inuyasha:** Wake me up)**

"_How can you see into my eyes like open doors  
leading you down into my core where I've become so numb _

_without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold  
until you find it there and lead it back home_

**Wake me up**

w_ake me up inside_

**I can't wake up**

_Wake me up inside_

**Save me**

_call my name and save me from the dark_

**Wake me up**

_bid my blood to run  
_

**I can't wake up**

_before I come undone_

**Save me**

_save me from the nothing I've become  
_  
_now that I know what I'm without  
you can't just leave me  
breathe into me and make me real  
bring me to life  
_  
**Wake me up**

_  
Wake me up inside_

**I can't wake up**

_Wake me up inside  
_

**Save me  
**

_call my name and save me from the dark  
_

**Wake me up**

_bid my blood to run  
_

**I can't wake up**

_before I come undone  
_

**Save me**

_save me from the nothing I've become  
_

_Bring me to life_

**I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside**

_Bring me to life _

frozen inside without your touch, without your love darling

_only you are the life among the dead  
_  
**all this time I can't believe I couldn't see  
kept in the dark but you were there in front of me**

_I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems  
got to open my eyes to everything_

**without a thought without a voice without a soul  
**

_don't let me die here  
_

**there must be something more**

_bring me to life_

**Wake me up  
**

_Wake me up inside  
_

**I can't wake up  
**

_Wake me up inside  
_

**Save me  
**

_call my name and save me from the dark  
_

**Wake me up  
**

_bid my blood to run  
_

**I can't wake up  
**

_before I come undone  
_

**Save me  
**

_save me from the nothing I've become _

Bring me to life

**I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside**

_Bring me to life_

"So, was it terrible?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha stayed quiet. "Inuyasha? Inuyasha, are you okay? Inu-,"

"What else you got?" he asked with a sudden impatient tone.

"Uh, well, there's this, but it's not all that great."

"Let's do it."

He grabbed the sheet music from her and set it on the music stand roughly.

_**TOGETHER**_

**i'm just so tired  
wont you sing me to sleep  
and fly through my dreams  
so i can hitch a ride with you tonight  
and get away from this place  
have a new name and face  
i just aint the same without you in my life  
late night drives, all alone in my car  
****i can't help but start  
singing lines from all our favorite songs  
and melodies in the air  
singin life just aint fair  
sometimes i still just can't believe you're gone  
and im sure the view from heaven  
beats the hell out of mine here  
and if we all believe in heaven,  
maybe we'll make it through one more year  
down here **

feel your fire,  
when its cold in my heart  
and things sorta start

**  
_remindin' me of my last night with you_**

**I only need one more day  
just one more chance to say  
I wish that I had gone up with you too**

**_And i'm sure the view from heaven  
beats the hell out of mine here  
and if we all believe in heaven  
maybe we'll make it through one more year  
down here  
_**  
**_you won't be comin' back_**

**_  
_And I didn't get to say goodbye **

_goodbye_

**_I really wish I got to say goodbye_**

**_and I 'm sure the view from heaven  
beats the hell out of mine here  
and if we all believe in heaven  
maybe we'll make it through one more year_**

**_  
_i hope that** **_all is well in heaven_**  
**cause it's all shot to hell down here **

_We need you_

**  
i hope that _I find you in heaven _**

_Singing in heaven_

**cause i'm so...  
lost without you down here**

**_you won't be coming back_**

**and I didn't get to say goodbye**

_goodbye_

**_I really wish I got to say goodbye_**

"That was…" Inuyasha stopped.

"That was what?" Kagome asked, bracing herself for disappointment. _He hates it. I knew it! Oh God, why did I sign that contract? Why did I do this?_

"That was… good."

Suddenly she got very annoyed. "You say that like you're surprised!"

"Well," Inuyasha began shouting. Kagome was going to get a taste of his temper, "I didn't expect much from you! I mean, _come on_! What should I expect when Miroku brings us some new chick, _off the freaking street!_ For Christ's sake!"

Kagome's face was bright red when she saw that Inuyasha's face held a sense of contentment and pride.

Little did he know, she had a temper of her own.

"Well, exxcuuuuussseee me! If you didn't want to work with me, then fine, leave. I was only trying to do what Sango wanted us to do!"

Inuyasha stood up, along with Kagome, so they faced each other.

"She said for us to work together!"

"That's what I'm trying to do here! It's YOU that wanted to work on these songs, not me. If you wanted to write some music from scratch, you should have told me that!"

Inuyasha felt himself get even angrier, finding no suitable comeback. "Stupid bitch!"

"Inconsiderate jerk!"

"Saucy wench!"

"Unbelievable moron!"

"Know-it-all bitch!"

"Incompetent bastard!"

"Stupid bitch!"

"You've used that insult already! And that's the third time you've called me a bitch in less that two minutes!"

"Well, if I wasn't so angry, then maybe I would be able to think of some better insults bitch!"

"Don't call me that!"

The fighting pair inched closer to each other with every shout. Their faces ere inches from each other, Kagome drew a quick breath. They both blushed and stepped away from each other. Inuyasha grabbed his guitar and put it back into its case, walking to the door.

Opening it, he took one last look at her. "And I'll call you whatever the hell I want to... bitch!" He slammed the door. Kagome let out an aggravated moan of frustration and sat in the middle of her box-filled living room.

* * *

**Yay! The bickering begins!**


	4. I Could Be Him

Happy Memorial Day for all of you in the United States! I am back from the camping trip I took with my family this weekend and it is HOT! We left on friday (I had a half day at school) and drove to Hershey KOA, an awesome place to go camping for anyone in the area. Satuday we went to Bear Country, the Boyd's Bear Store. It was cool, but I was already there before this trip, so it was a little boring. Not to mention we had to drive for 3 HOURS from this stupid dairy farm my mom wanted to go to where it's like a spa for cows. The tour was resevation only, so we couldn't even see them.

Sunday we hung out at camp which was cool. I was hoping maybe I could update with my dad's laptop while we were there, but he didn't have intranet (yes, I called it the inTRAnet) so I couldn't. We went to Hershey Park which was cool. Me and my cousin Maria, NCchick4456, rode Great Bear twice and Stormrunner, the scariest thing I've ever done. Here's some stats on the ride:

Launch speed 72mph / Drop speed 75mph

Top Hat (150 ft.), Cobra Loop (135 ft.), Barrel Rolls, Snake Dive

Vertical Ascent / Vertical Drop  
150 feet / 180 Feet

Freaked. Me. Out.

* * *

"**And that's about the time that bitch hung up on me  
Nobody likes you when your 23  
And are still more amused by prank phone calls  
What the hell is caller ID?  
My friends say I should act my age  
What's my age again?  
What's my age again? **

And that's about the time she walked away from me  
Nobody likes you when your 23  
And you still act like you're in Freshman year  
What the hell is wrong with me?  
My friends say I should act my age  
What's my age again?  
What's my age again?

That's about the time she broke up with me  
No one should take themselves so seriously  
With many years ahead to fall in line  
Why would you wish that on me?  
I never want to act my age  
What's my age again?  
What's my age again?"

The man out side the booth gave them a signal they were done recording that track. Mike smiled at them from behind the glass, proud of his "little money makers".

"Good job. Inuyasha, get yourself some water. Miroku, I want yo to tune yourself again."

"But I was fi-,"

"Do it again!"

"Dumb bastard can't even play a single note, yet I was out of tune?" Miroku mumbled to himself. Kagome looked at her two friends and….well, what would you call Inuyasha? The two were mostly fighting, so they weren't friends. They defiantly were not colleagues, at least not in Inuyasha's book. They were just two people forced to work together. And that suited both of them just fine.

"Okay, we're doing "Grand Theft Autumn", NOW!" Mike barked from behind the glass. Kagome sat in the corner of the recording booth and Sango got ready to count off.

(_Italics_ is Miroku)

"One, two, three, four!"

"**Where is your boy tonight? I hope he is a gentleman.  
Maybe he won't find out what I know: you were the last good thing about this part of town. **

When I wake up, I'm willing to take my chances on the hope I forget  
that you hate him more than you notice I wrote this for you

_for you, so..._

**You need him. I could be him...  
I could be an accident but I'm still trying.  
That's more than I can say for him. **

Where is your boy tonight? I hope he is a gentleman.  
Maybe he won't find out what I know: you were the last good thing about this part of town.

Someday I'll appreciate in value, get off my ass and call you... but for the meantime I'll sport my  
brand new fashion of waking up with pants on at 4:00 in the afternoon.

You need him. I could be him...  
I could be an accident but I'm still trying.  
That's more than I can say for him.

_1-2-3-4!_

**Where is your boy tonight? I hope he is a gentleman.  
Maybe he won't find out what I know: you were the last good thing about this part of town.  
**  
(_won't find out)_

**he won't find out**

(_won't find out_)

**he won't find out **

Where is your boy tonight? I hope he is a gentleman.  
Maybe he won't find out what I know: you were the last good thing about this part of town.

Where is your boy tonight? I hope he is a gentleman.

_he won't find out_

**Maybe he won't find out what I know: you were the last good thing about this part of town.**"

The recording artist gave the signal again and the band members sighed. They had been working for three straight hours without any breaks.

"Mike, if we don't get a break soon, I will personally make sure you never have and children, got it?" Inuyasha snarled, setting his guitar on it's stand.

"I'll help you Inuyasha," Sango chimed.

"Me too," came from Kagome.

"Me sixty-nine," Miroku said with a smart-alleck tone.

"Fine, but only an hour," Mike called, then returned to his cell phone. Miroku and Sango walked toward the stairs since they brought lunches to eat together. Inuyasha stormed out of the booth and onto the elevator, only to see Kagome running toward the door.

"Hold it!" she called out. She stood next to him inside the elevator. He could tell she was nervous by the way she tugged at her bag's strap. The silence for the rides would be brutal, all 24 floors.

And Kagome just _had_ to break it.

"Why do you hate me?"

Inuyasha looked up from his gaze on the floor. "I don't hate you," he said. The doors opened and he took a step out. "I hate that you're taking over."

* * *

Okay, this chapter seemed a little stupid to me. Oh well.


	5. Hot Stuff

* * *

The doors began to close as Kagome saw Inuyasha walk off. She punched the "door open" button and ran after him. 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she shouted, making him turn around. Suddenly she felt it wasn't a good idea to confront him. If looks could kill, Inuyasha was shooting a barrage of bullets.

"You should know Danm well what that means!" He tossed his arms out to the side, as if it added to his point.

"No I don't Inuyasha," she said, picking up her pace to keep up with him. They moved though the large crowds on the New York City street, though it wasn't terribly crowded, for NYC anyway. They must have walked a good half a block before a building let out a wave of people through its doors, smashing the two musicians against each other, plastered to the side of the cold hard stone of the building. Kagome was able to maneuver her self to face Inuyasha. She looked up, since she only was able to reach his chest and said, "tell me."

"Get off," he groaned, pushing against her, only to be roughly pushed back against the wall again.

"I can't. We have to wait for the crowd to pass," she replied, wincing slightly as someone elbowed her in the side.

Inuyasha smirked, "You're in New York City baby, no such thing as a light crowd."

Kagome felt a pang of pain in her back, pushing her completely up against Inuyasha.

"Danm honey, I had no idea you were like that," Inuyasha half moaned. A group of old women sat on a bench next to them, squished together uncomfortably. They turned to each other, disgusted at the implied actions of the two. "Don't worry ladies; I don't think she'll start again. We just got done a good six rounds upstairs." He smirked at them, knowing they fully well couldn't stand up and leave.

"Inuyasha," Kagome growled. He looked down at her with a smirk and looked the old woman closest to them in the eyes.

"I must be somethin', 'cause the girl can't stop moaning my name!" Suddenly the crowd lightened and the old ladies stood up and hurriedly rushed off, muttering things about morals and "young women going around like common whores". Kagome pushed off Inuyasha and crossed her arms across her chest.

"You make some first impression, don't you?" she let out a groan of frustration and pulled on his wrist. He let Kagome drag him all the way to a small coffee shop she knew well and hung out at often. Forcing him into a plush chair she sat across from him, glaring. "Now, what exactly should I know to make this all work, Inuyasha? I'm here to stay and nothing you could do is going to make me leave."

"What the hell are we doing here? Kagome, we are on break and I'm not going to spend mine here with you." Inuyasha stood up to leave but Kagome beat him to it, shoving his shoulders. He sat back down. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What did you mean when you left the elevator?" Kagome asked, folding her hands in her lap.

"I think you know well what I mean, and _no_ way am I discussing it with you," he spat. Kagome glared at him, only for it to be returned.

"You know, for having done _nothing_ against you, you defiantly have some problems with me. And that little display in front of those elderly women was absolutely—,"

"You mean those old hags? Please, with that skirt you're wearing, they would have called you a whore anyway." He turned and smiled at a cute waitress, only to cause her to stumble slightly, almost spilling four cappuccinos. Kagome just stared at him, open-mouthed. _He did not just say that and…and…!_

The waitress walked over to them, giving Kagome an ice-cold glare before she turned to Inuyasha, giving him the cheesiest smile possible. She leaned close to Inuyasha, and Kagome noticed her top four buttons were un-done on her uniform. Kagome rolled her eyes. _Oh brother. Laying it on a little thick, honey!_

The waitress put hand on his shoulder, a little too close to his chest. "Anything I can do for you, honey?" she asked, licking her lips.

Anything I can _do_ for you, not anything I can _get _for you.

Inuyasha just smiled and leaned a little closer to her, making the waitress blush a little. Kagome sat in a huff in her chair, ignored. Her cheeks grew red and she swore steam came out of her ears. She stood up.

"Inuyasha?" She was ignored. "Innnnuuuuuyyyyaaaaaasssshhaaaa?" she cooed. He looked up at her. Kagome grabbed one of the scolding hot drinks by the handle and dumped it on his pants, more so…his crotch.

"What the hell!" he shouted, standing up so quickly his head knocked into the slutty waitress'. Her head shot back and she dropped the rest of her drinks, sending a terrible crash ringing throughout the room. Inuyasha looked up at her like she was Lucifer standing right in front of him. Kagome smiled and waved, heading for the door. She stopped right before she left and turned to face him.

"See you at practice, _honey_!" she said, walking through the door and back out into the busy New York street. She left in such a hurry; she didn't even notice the standing ovation the other customers gave her. She didn't see Inuyasha forced to pay for the broken cups and lost drinks. She didn't see the waitress get yelled at by her manager. She didn't see how the other customers cheered as the waitress was fired for inappropriate behavior, violation of the employee dress code, and for just being a pain with her ongoing flirting with male customers. Kagome Higurashi walked out onto the bust street with only one thought buzzing around in her head.

_This is so stupid. I can't believe I'm even thinking about it._ Kagome pondered in her head silently. _Why did I do that? Why did I get so annoyed by their flirting? I should have just gotten up and walked out._ She came to the idea that there was a perfectly reasonable explanation to why she acted the way she did.

The only thing that scared her was, she had no idea what that reason _was.

* * *

_

**Duckgirl566: The document manager is no longer being a jerk, YAY!**

**Ducky alter ego: Let us get out the party favors!**

**Duckgirl566: No silly string near the pc.**

**Ducky alter ego: Fine :grumbles:**

**Duckgirl566: Anyway, that was my alter ego, surprisingly named Ducky alter ego. Go figure.**

**Ducky alter ego: I have streamers!**

**Duckgirl566: Anyway, my sometimes bi-polar buddy is here to keep me in check.**

**Ducky alter ego: Do flame-throwers count as party favors?**

**Duckgirl566: Or kill me, I'm not sure why he…she…it is here.**

**:Ducky alter ego waddles in, covered in an array of streamers, party favors, and confetti. It is holding a Super Soaker in one hand, a flame-thrower in the other:**

**Ducky alter ego: I'm ready to celebrate!**

**Duckgirl566: Review AND pray for me, please :grabs her own Super Soaker:**


	6. Rosa

**Duckgirl566: Non-dairy creamer is nasty.**

**Ducky alter ego: Um...aren't you going to explain why you haven't updated in such a long time?**

**Duckgirl566: Oh yeah, that. That is pretty much summed up in two words.**

**_Marching Band._**

**Ducky alter ego: And it all makes sense to me now.**

* * *

Sango got up and answered her buzzer, not wanting to deal with pranksters at four in the morning.

"Go away you little buggers," she shouted into the intercom. She heard the storm outside and someone crying. "Who is this?"

"S-Sango?" Kagome's voice was small. Even through the machine, Sango could tell she had been crying. "Sango, it's Kagome. I…I need your help."

"Yeah, hold on. I'll buzz you in," Sango said and un-locked the front. She dialed a number she had written next to her buzzer. "Mickey? Hi, this is Sango. I've got a guest coming in. Thanks," she hung up. Mickey was a friendly old man that watched the doors at night. Sango started making some decaf while she waited for Kagome. As soon as She poured the water, Sango heard a weak knock on her door. "Kagome...God, what happened to you?"

"My landlord took all my stuff and put it in a storage bin. He came into my place, turning on all the lights and…he literally pushed me out. I need help for a little while, and I had no place to go and—,"

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Kagome. You can stay here as long as you need to, okay? I've got some decaf brewing and we can sit down." Kagome nodded as she broke down into sobs. Sango reached out for the girl, feeling so much pity. "Why don't we just sit down and you can tell me everything…"

* * *

"Love Muffin, wakey-wakey!" Miroku pushed open the doors to what he knew was Sango's bedroom. He saw the sheets were rumpled, and the shower was running in the adjoining bathroom. Suddenly he got a very sneaky, but wonderful idea. 

The bathroom door was already opened, so he quickly stripped down to his boxers and tiptoed through it. Sango had a shower without a door or curtain. The only barrier between him and his beloved was a wall. All he had to do was sneak around to the other side of a tiled wall and wrap his arms around her _very_ naked form.

Miroku could feel the heat of the hot water before even seeing her. Slowly her came up behind her, wondering only for a moment if Sango had gotten shorter. He could see her curves, immediately getting turned on. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pushing himself up against her wet body.

"Surprise," he whispered into her ear. That was when Miroku's very sneaky, but wonderful idea became his very sneaky, but stupid idea.

Her body went rigid and she let out a scream that was simply not human. Without needing to think about it, she used the inside of her foot to scrape along his shin and slammed it hard on his foot, making Miroku yelp and loosen his hold.

"Sango, Sango, call the police! There's some guy in here trying to rape me!" She started screaming wildly, fingernails scratching and clawing at Miroku, her eyes closed. With one swift movement, she kneed him in the groin. Miroku fell over, almost completely naked and very wet, clutching himself. It was then when she willed herself to open her eyes.

"Oh my God, Miroku's a rapist!"

* * *

Inuyasha cracked up, his sides aching. "You're a d-dumb-a-as-s-s-s!" He shouted pointing his finger at Miroku. Miroku tossed a throw pillow at him, but his aim was off. Sango scowled as the pillow hit the moving ceiling fan. It threw the pillow at an art project her brother had given her the last time they got to see each other, about three months ago. 

It was a painting. It wasn't a painting of anything, really. It was how he saw her. It was a blend of lines, of strokes of his brush. The lines were every size, and went in every direction. They were all earthy colors, light blues, shades of green, and browns. But that was everything else. Right in the center, was a streak of magenta. It was not a wide streak, but it was not a twig-sized line, either. It stood out, but no so much that all you could see was it, yet you knew it was there. It was simple, but beautiful.

It was Sango. Or _Rosa_, if you went by its name. Kohaku spent all his high school years studying German, so it was well suited the painting's title was the German word for pink.

She walked over and corrected the frame, and she was glad it wasn't damaged. She then made her way into the kitchen, sparing Miroku the humiliation of her being the while Inuyasha made fun of him.

Kagome stood at the sink, a coffee cup of decaf that was more dairy creamer than coffee in her hands. Sango smiled at her friend. It was defiantly awkward when she rushed in, seeing _all _of Kagome (_Holy crap, I need to figure out was she's doing to keep her arms like that_ was her first thought) and then she looked down at her fiancé.

And she blushed.

"It was a mistake Kagome, that's all. Please don't be embarrassed," Sango said, grabbing a bottle of water out of her fridge, determined to get those arms.

"Thank you, Sango. I know that it was a mistake, but I still blush when I think about it." Kagome cast her eyes downward, unable to look at Sango. Her voice became quiet, almost at a whisper. "Thank for last night, Sango. It meant a lot to me. I just—,"

"Please, please, Kagome," Sango said, going to her side. She put down her coffee cup, and took Kagome's, setting them down on the counter, "don't worry about it. You are my band mate, but more so, my friend. Please, come to me if you need help."

Kagome smiled, and Sango matched it. They hugged, enjoying the warmth of another, a friend. Kagome let a silent tear roll down her cheek.

"Girl-on-girl!"

"Whoa, yeah!"

Kagome and Sango both blushed, jumping away from each other.

"I'll kill both of you!" Sango shouted, and ran after Inuyasha and Miroku. She chased them out of the kitchen, and Kagome could hear gay jokes, sex jokes, and the crude humor Inuyasha and Miroku. She heard their joyful shouts, the sound of them bounding around the apartment. It made her smile, knowing her new friends had happiness.

Now all she had to do was work on her own.

* * *

**Duckgirl566: We won't blame you guys if you don't want to review.**

**Ducky alter ego: Shouldn't you be practicing that new stand piece for the game today?**

**Duckgirl566: ...I hate you.**


	7. Abused Furniture

**Duckgirl566: Dear God...**

**Ducky alter ego: What?**

**Duckgirl566: I...I think I'm updating!**

* * *

"I can't do this."

Sango sighed, putting a hand on her forehead for a moment before looking back at her friend. They had been working so hard for the past few weeks, and Kagome was _not_ going to ruin it just because of a little build up of nerves.

"It really isn't that hard Kagome. We'll all be in there with you," she said. Kagome looked down. Sango bit back another sigh, not wanting to be a drama queen. "Look, why don't you go find a place to warm up your voice, okay?

Just take a couple of minutes to chill out, and get ready. You'll realize that even though the recording booth is a little intimidating, you'll get hooked to those headphones soon enough."

Kagome returned the hug Sango then gave her, picked up her bag, and walked into the hallway. She couldn't believe how huge it was in that building. Room after room lined the bland hallway, and she hoped one of them contained a piano.

She checked about five along the hallway before she heard it.

_E-oh, e-oh, e-e-e-e-oh. _

Kagome heard the sounds of a piano, and the faints sounds of a voice.

_E-oh, e-oh, e-e-e-e-oh. _

She let herself get close to each door as she walked, the voice and the piano getting louder.

_E-oh, e-oh, e-e-e-e-oh. _

The, almost instantly, it stopped. Kagome felt anxiety build up inside her. She had hoped for a quiet room to practice in, but she couldn't just barge into a room now that she knew someone else was here.

_Do, do, re, re, mi, mi, fa, fa, so, so, la, la, ti, ti, do, do._

She sighed with relief and continued down the hall. Now all she had to do was work up the nerve to ask whomever this was. She reached for the doorknob and twisted, pulling it open.

And met the back of head, covered in a black knit cap on top of a head of silver hair.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said, stepping into the room. Instantly he tensed, and he stopped his warm up. He didn't respond otherwise. "Um, I needed a piano to warm up with…may I join you?"

He didn't say anything. But he moved over on the bench, making room for her to sit. He then played a warm-up she recognized from high school choir.

"_I lo-ove to sing_," she sang, sitting beside him. His fingers moved up on the keyboard. "_I lo-ove to sing_." And he kept going. Kagome wasn't sure when he would stop. Surely he knew she was a soprano, but how high was he going to play. It was when she hit the A that he stopped, moving onto a skipping scale. "_Do, mi, re, fa, mi, so, fa, la, so, ti, la, do, ti, re, do. Do, la, ti, so, la, fa, so, mi, fa, re, me, do, re, ti, do_."

He kept playing warm-ups, and she kept singing. Kagome wanted so badly to know what he was thinking. Did he like her range? Did he like her voice at all? For some reason, she hoped he did. She took a moment to realize that he had stopped playing, and she had stopped singing.

"Nice range," he whispered. She almost didn't hear him.

"Thank you," she said, playing with her hands. She only began to notice how close they were sitting on the piano bench.

"Did you really kick Miroku's ass like that?" He said, and he turned to face her. He was smirking, a playful look in his eyes. Kagome never realized what a beautiful amber color they were. They were full and beautiful, unlike her boring brown eyes.

"Well, what would you do? I thought he was a pervert, or something," she said, folding her hands in her lap.

"Well, he is that," he continued when he saw the horrified look in her eyes. Hadn't she spent enough time with Miroku by now to know he wouldn't do anything? "No, wait. What I meant was, he would never attack any woman." He smiled to himself. 'S_pecially not a girl like you._

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha looked back up to see Kagome with her hands fisted at her sides. Her face was growing red with what seemed like frustration. "What about a girl like me?"

It occurred to Inuyasha that he said his thoughts out loud.

"Well Inuyasha, is there something wrong with me?"

"No, really, I-,"

"Well, you aren't exactly Mr. Wonderful yourself!"

"Hey!"

"Jerk!"

"You make it sound like you would want to be attacked!" he shouted. He stood up abruptly, almost knocking over the stool Kagome was still sitting on. She rose too, and this time the stool _did _fall over. Inuyasha glared at the girl, challenging her to stand up to him. And meet his challenge she did.

To prove this, she kicked the stool about three feet away from them.

"You're insane, you know that?" he snarled, inching closer. Her cheeks grew red with her anger. "And you look like a drunk."

"Well, you are a jerk, with no respect for anyone or anything but yourself," she spat back. Inuyasha could see the fire in her eyes, and deep inside of himself, where he was not quite sure, wanted to see more.

"At least I don't go around trying to kill my band mates," he said, raising his voice a little. Kagome was taken aback a little. Wasn't he joking about it a few minutes ago?

"At least I can rhyme!" she shouted.

"I do it all the time!" he shouted back.

He was ready to continue the argument when he noticed a color on her face that had nothing to do with being angry. In fact, she seemed almost embarrassed.

It was almost as if she was…blushing?

_Yes_, Inuyasha concluded, _the wench is blushing. But why?_

Kagome let out a small cough, her blush ever growing. "Um…Inuyasha?"

He looked around, and noticed nothing. Except that their lips were _this_ close to touching.

With a quick blush of his own, he pecked her lips and dashed out of the room. Kagome was left to ponder why Inuyasha had come so close. And why…why did he kiss her?

* * *

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	8. Putrid and Filthy

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**Ducky alter ego: This is really long...you sure you wrote this?**

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* * *

The man on the other side of the glass gave Inuyasha a nod of his head, signaling that he was ready. Inuyasha looked at Kagome for a moment, though she wasn't really sure what for other than the obvious, and began the song with his guitar, Sango and Miroku joining in after. Kagome tapped her foot slightly counting the beats until her entrance.

"Sick, of circling the same road,  
Sick of bearing the guilt,  
So open, the windows, to cool off  
And heat pours in instead!"

She found herself moving a little bit. The song was upbeat and fun, even if the lyrics she was singing were not at all what she thought she would be in her career.

"Perfect in weakness  
I'm only perfect in just your strength alone

"All my efforts to clean me  
Leave me putrid and filthy,  
And how, can you look at me  
When I can't stand myself?

"I'm tired to be honest  
I'm nobody…

"Perfect in weakness  
I'm only perfect in just your strength alone

"Perfect in weakness  
I'm only running in just your strength alone!"

Kagome felt them slow down and took a deep breath, the action making her trained diaphragm tremble.

"I tried to kill you  
You tried to save me,"

And just like that, the beat changed. _Metric modulation can kiss my butt,_ she thought to herself.

"You save me!  
You save me!  
You save me!  
You save me!

"Perfect in weakness  
I'm only perfect in just your strength alone

"Perfect in weakness  
I'm only running in just your strength alone…"

The man on the other side of the glass cued them that they were safe until they went to record another song.

Kagome wiped the sweat off of her brow. She had been so nervous. The rush had been amazing, the adrenaline spiking in her body. It had been so much fun. The queasy feeling that had settled itself in her tummy had now vanished.

She felt glorious, splendid, idyllic, blissful, and a whole bunch of other snooty adjectives that were synonyms of the simple term: happy. Kagome was _happy_. She knew that she had done well and that had made her happy. But she denied anything else that could be the reason of that happiness.

"That was freaking awesome, Kagome," Miroku said, moving to hug her. Sango cleared her throat obnoxiously loud as a warning to her lover. Kagome had already proved she could very well handle herself, and the bass player would be wise not to test her.

"Thank you, Miroku," she said back, a radiant smile plastered to her face that she could not seem to make dim. For a few moments, Kagome decided she would succumb to this feeling inside herself.

Sango handed her a bottle of water that she took thankfully. They enjoyed the few moment before work would start again. While Kagome loved Miroku and Sango dearly, she noticed Inuyasha wasn't around. But he wouldn't spoil her moment. He wouldn't spoil her fun.

* * *

Inuyasha glanced behind his shoulder to see Kagome tilt her head back, drinking the gift from Sango. Her hair was pulled back high in a messy bun, displaying the snow-white skin on her neck to him. The urge to kiss that neck filled him, and his was afraid of it.

His left the recording booth, afraid of the beauty inside of it.

* * *

"We must celebrate," Miroku announced. "Kagome's first recording session that actually participated in was an absolute success."

"So we need to get tipsy?" Sango asked, smiling. Miroku gave her a knowing look. She blushed and suddenly found her old sticks very interesting.

"I vote we go to Sally's," Miroku said. Inuyasha stopped moving for a second and looked up at him.

"Why Sally's? Miroku, what the hell did you do?" Inuyasha asked. He stepped up the other man. Miroku smiled.

"We," Miroku said, smiling even though he was worried with Inuyasha so close, "have a gig."

"Shit, Miroku," Inuyasha cursed as Sango bean clapping excitedly.

"Oh, I can't wait!" she squealed. Kagome looked at the group, confused.

"What's so special about this 'Sally's' place?" she asked. Sango turned and took Kagome's hands in hers.

"Sally's is where we got our start!" she said. "So are we playing tonight, Miroku?"

"Yes, I promised ol' Sally herself. We aren't getting paid, though, unless you count all the mozzarella sticks we can eat payment. It'll be just like old times, but with a new friend to share it with." Miroku came behind both girls and hugged them together. "We should take Kagome to the best bar in New York City. It can be sort of like an initiation sort of thing."

"You mean hazing?" Inuyasha asked, closing his guitar case. "Thanks, but no thanks," he said, moving to leave.

"Oh come on Inuyasha!" Sango went over to him and pouted. "Don't you want to take Kagome out for a night on the town?"

He looked at Kagome for a moment and sighed, admitting defeat.

"To Sally's we go!"

* * *

There was a fog of cigarette smoke in the small establishment. The bar area reeked of the alcohol it served, and the smell of fried foods mixed with it. They walked in, carrying their equipment, except for Sango who would use the house set. All she needed was her sticks.

"Well, this is certainly…charming," Kagome said. Of course, she was lying through her teeth, but this was important to her new friends. She would have a great time even if it gave her lung cancer.

"You hate it, don't you?" Sango asked, grabbing Kagome's hand. The question was asked with bad timing though, as a fat balding man with a beer gut the size of two small children exhaled. His cigar smoke blew directly in front of Kagome, making her cringe.

"No, no, it has…character," Kagome said. She then began to cough, almost losing her balance. She felt two strong hands steady her by grabbing her shoulders. They were Inuyasha's.

"Do you need to leave, Kagome?" Sango asked. "We can go somewhere else, if you want."

"Oh, no, please, I want to stay," Kagome said. She gave Sango a look to let her know she was okay. "How about you two go find a table or something? It's pretty crazy in here."

"Oh, all right," Sango said, not quite sure about leaving Kagome and Inuyasha alone. Still, she let herself be led my Miroku to find a table for the group. Kagome sighed slightly, but stilled when she noticed Inuyasha's hands were still on her shoulders.

"Inuyasha," she began, turning to face him, "are you okay?" She couldn't see his eyes between his long silver bangs and the lack of light. "Inuyasha?

"Come on, say something." She beginning to feel scared. "Hey, earth to Inuyasha!"

"Hell!" he shouted, jumping back two feet from her.

"Look, if you have issues about what happened in the warm-up room, don't worry. I haven't told anyone," she crossed her arms and sighed. The kiss must have meant _nothing _to him. But, it didn't mean anything to her, either. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

"Kagome-,"

"What?" she spat. And there it was again, that fire in her eyes. He could see the blaze. It was ready to burn anyone willing to get close enough to it.

"I don't have issues about what happened in the warm-up room, really." And that was all that smart in his response. "But…it was just a kiss, barely one at that. It didn't mean anything, so don't worry about it."

She slapped him.

"I don't know much about you, but here's a little something about me: a kiss, no matter how small it is, should never be meaningless." Kagome walked over to where she could see Miroku waving his hand obnoxiously as to embarrass his lover who blushed next to him.

Inuyasha just stood there for a moment before walking up to an empty stool at the bar. He set his guitar next to the stool and sat.

"Inuyasha, you worthless son of a-,"

"Just get me something, anything, Sally. I am really not in the mood to joke with you tonight. If you want to laugh, go talk to Miroku."

The old woman with a voice hoarse from years a smoking and drinking and whole bunch of crap, none of which she regretted, just looked at the musician.

"Not in the mood to joke, eh?" she asked, setting a glass down in front of him.

"In the mood to get drunk," he said, slapping some cash down.

* * *

"Where's Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as Kagome sat down. She closed her eyes, trying not to explode.

"He's having…some issues right now. I'm sure he'll be fine." _That son of a bitch'll be _just_ fine._ Kagome thought to herself. She looked at the band that was on the stage on grimaced.

"They suck, don't they?" Miroku said crudely. Sango punched him in the arm. "Well, they _do_ suck. I'm not sure they're even in tune. And you can't tell me that the drumming isn't driving you insane, Sango," he said.

"Yeah, but that guy on the keyboard is pretty cute, isn't he Kagome?" Sango asked. Miroku frowned and held Sango a little closer to him and she rolled her eyes. "But not as cute as you, Snuggle Bear," she confirmed, kissing his nose. He blushed a little, he cheeks turning rose petal pink.

Kagome looked over at the keyboardist. He was more than cute. Straight, light brown hair covered his eyes as his thin fingers danced on the plastic keys. A black t-shirt made his pale skin more visible. Skinny jeans were baggy on his body, but tight on his butt. But the way his fingers moved memorized her.

"I'm getting us some drinks, since the service in this place has certainly gone downhill since you worked here, Sango," Miroku said. He got up and went over to the bar area, leaving the girls alone.

"I dated a guy like him once," Sango said. Kagome returned her attention to her friend, forgetting completely about the only half-decent musician in the band playing.

"Really?" Kagome asked, taking a quick glance at Miroku. Well, the butt was there. Miroku was defiantly not lacking in the cute ass department. But the man was not skinny. Kagome remembered the glimpse she had of him in the shower. He was toned, but had a little pizza-related flab. He was not at all like the skinny guy on stage.

"Yeah, well, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be with Miroku right now. I was working here, new to the big apple, and Sally took me in when she saw me counting the little money I had on the table. I moved into a little place upstairs across the hall from another apartment that smelled like coffee all the time.

"Finally, I went over and knocked on the door. A guy that looked so much like the guy on that stage opened up the door. Books covered every inch of the walls, and he was holding a mug in his hand.

"We said hi and he invited me in, saying he was a buddy of Sally's. Sally took him in when he was a budding writer, and that had been three years before. He wrote for seven different magazines under seven different names, and his book was coming out in three months. We talked for hours. When I got up to leave, he walked me over to the door.

"He opened the door and moved to kiss my cheek, but I..." Sango trailed off, staring at the table. "I turned my head so his lips landed on mine. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled his body against mine, grinding myself against him." She blushed, looking away for a moment.

"You asked him to make love to you," Kagome whispered. Learning about this new side to Sango was exciting.

"No," Sango said, laying her palms flat on the table, "I asked him to fuck me. I was perverted and forward. I barely knew him, but I dragged him into bed. His whole body smelled of the coffee he was always consuming, and his hands had small cuts from the paper.

"I went on birth control, and that was what we did—have sex, I mean. Later, when I went to a professional about it, she said I was lonely for a companion in a city full of people. But I had an addiction to his sweat. I had an addiction to his intellect. I felt so smart around him, and screwing was just something to do.

"Neither of us went to a job during the day, and I only worked for Sally in the early evenings. If he was sitting on the couch writing, I would spread my legs across his lap and get his attention. I missed calls from my mother back home in Rhode Island because we were in his bedroom.

"The days and nights blurred, since most of my time was spent on top of him," Sango whispered, closing her eyes. "After a year, he gave me a ring. He arranged to get married before a judge with one of his friends that I had never met as our witness.

"He planned on staying in that same apartment, with the same books, with the same coffee pot, with the same woman sucking his dick for the rest of his life.

"That was I saw what I was doing. He went on a weekend trip to meet with some publishers, and I wasted away from the lack of him inside of me. I called him on the phone after six hours, saying how much I wanted to screw his brains out.

"He sighed, and said, 'Well, I wouldn't want to keep my little whore waiting.'

"I left the next day, running away from him and that ring and that life. I vowed to never sleep with a man again."

"Sango, I can't believe what I'm hearing. I mean…you? And with Miroku being your fiancé…"

"Miroku didn't get any for two years. I told him about how disgusting I was, and he said that I was wrong. He made me feel beautiful. He didn't keep me caged," Sango looked up at Kagome with a smile. Just then, they heard a crash.

Sally's old voice cursed, drunken men cheered, women gasped. Inuyasha stood over Miroku, his fists clenched. Miroku was on the ground, looking up at Inuyasha. He brought his hand to his chin, and then looked. There was blood on his palm.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about Miroku, so shut the Hell up," Inuyasha growled. He stomped into a back room, leaving people shocked in his wake.

"Kagome," Sango said, getting her attention once more, "you need someone who won't cage you."

* * *

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	9. Monster

"Well, Sally's going to be pissed off for a while," Sango said, looking at Miroku's swollen lip. They were sitting in a booth, and Sango was trying to figure out the damage to her future husband's face.

"Nah," Miroku said, waving it off, "she'll get over it." Sango said something and the two laughed, but Kagome was too deep in thought to notice. Inuyasha had seemed furious. She tried to think of reason why he had suddenly blown up and hit Miroku like that.

She was a little afraid of it, actually. Sure, she knew Inuyasha had a nasty temper sometimes, but never had she seen him so angry. She hoped it wasn't because she slapped him. She would have hated knowing she was the cause of a fight.

Just then a door opened, and Kagome glanced at it. A tall, beautiful, slender woman walked into the bar. From the look on her face, she was disgusted by the stench of booze and smoke. Her violet cashmere sweater was tight against her small frame, and her bony face was pale. Small, pointy breasts struggles to show. Khaki pants covered her long legs, covering black boots with a heel Kagome would never even dream of wearing. Her big, black Chanel bag was sleek and shiny, almost as big as her torso. Diamonds decorated her ears, making them sparkle.

To put it simply, the woman was high-class and loved to show it off in front of the low-class that filled the bar. Kagome was almost positive there was a limo waiting for her outside.

The woman walked past the catcalls of drunks at the bar and into the same room Inuyasha had disappeared into earlier.

* * *

Inuyasha sat with his head in his hands, ashamed of himself. He had punched Miroku, his best friend and band mate, in the bar where they first played.

_She's not going anywhere._

He stood up, but sat back down. Maybe he had more to drink than he thought he did.

_I had to get out of there. They were talking about a guy in that band over there._

He closed his eyes, remembering how her lips tasted.

_You know, she's pretty special._

He clenched his fists.

_You haven't been happy in a long time._

A tear escaped him.

_Inuyasha, she was bitch. Not every woman will be that way._

He clenched his fists harder, blood coming from the small cuts in his hand.

_I think if you got to know her, she would understand._

That was when Inuyasha had punched him.

"Why did I know you would be here?" Inuyasha turned. She closed the door behind her but didn't turn on the lights. "There are people having fun, but you needed to hide. I would not blame you, of course."

She walked over to him and took a lock of his sliver-white hair, running it between two fingers. It was like a fine silk. She smirked in the pale moonlight and he brought his head down.

"She looks so much like me, Inuyasha. Did you think I wouldn't have noticed? Did you think your little replacement would get past me? She would get past him?" She closed in, her hot breath on his ear. "Is she your new dealer?" Inuyasha yanked away.

"She's not like that!" He shouted, his eyes turning a crimson evil for just a moment. "She's clean, Kikyo. I am too." Kikyo laughed.

"Clean? Inuyasha, you were born filthy. Your whole life is disgusting, and that is something you just refuse to learn." He turned away. "She has secrets too. In fact, _he_ knows all about her dirty little past."

"You're wrong!" Inuyasha shouted, tears rolling down his cheeks. He shoved Kikyo aside and walked across the room, leaning his head against the cool concrete wall, sliding down on his knees.

"How would you know, Inuyasha?" Kikyo said, raising her voice. "You don't even know who she is." Kikyo ripped off the black knit cap Inuyasha had been wearing. She brought her other hand down on his head, stroking what she uncovered. "My little monster…"

"I'm not yours Kikyo…not anymore," Inuyasha whispered. She tilted his head back so he was looking up at her from his kneeling position. She smiled, and then slapped him across the face. He winced despite himself.

"When your done screwing around, Inuyasha, look me up. I might let you in on my success."

"You slept your way to the top," he said, but winced when she pulled on his right ear.

"Scum," she said, kissing his swollen cheek. She tossed him aside and straightened, readying herself to go back into the bar. "You know what I want. I'll be waiting, Inuyasha."

* * *

She slammed the door on her way out, but no one noticed her. Kagome was the only person to look up to see the woman walk out of Sally's and into the New York night.

* * *

Inuyasha stood up. He wiped his face, wincing when he touched the place where she slapped him. It would heal in a minute. He looked for his hat in the dark, playing with it in his hands. A mirror was illuminated in the corner, covered with dust and a crack in the corner. Inuyasha looked at himself.

A monster. That was what she called him.

But he was, and he knew it. His whole he felt like the monster he was. _A face only a mother could love_, he thought. Yeah, right.

Inuyasha punched the mirror, filthy shard flying in all directions. He didn't move as the glass pierced him, his hand bleeding. He didn't even feel the pain.

The door flew open, a small amount of light appearing from behind the shadow.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, running into the room, the door slamming behind her. "Oh my God, what'd you do?"

She grabbed his hand and led him away from the broken glass. Immediately she reached into her purse and pulled out a bottle of water. She pulled out a handkerchief. Slowly she began to try and clean his hand.

"You so better not get an infection," she said. She didn't notice that he yanked on his hat. "This really needs to be cleaned better than this. Actually, I think the bleeding stopping a little bit. Still, you defiantly aren't playing tonight."

He watched as her hands worked, worriedly but confidently. She was concerned, and he had been so terrible to her.

"Kagome really, you don't need to-,"

"Yes I do," she said, not letting him finish. "You're hurt, and even though you are such a pain in my backside, I want to help you. Don't ask me why, because I don't know." He cupped her face in his other hand and brought her face up to look at him.

"Don't worry 'bout me. I'll be fine, really. Why don't you just get back out there?" He said. Kagome felt her heart quicken, and was s o sure that he could hear it. She looked into his eyes and saw it.

A tear, wishing it could fall.

"Inuyasha…why don't we get out of here?" she asked, standing up. She held out her hand, offering it to him. "There's a side of NYC I've never seen before, and I want you to show it to me."

"Really?" he asked, not believing her.

"Really," she said. He took her hand and she opened the door, leading him back through the bar and out the front. Inuyasha watched her, just trying to understand how a woman could be so beautiful. He tried to stop himself, he really did. She kept denying it, not want to believe it.

_I'm in love.

* * *

_


	10. First Date

* * *

Kagome danced a little, holding his hand. She was in that state of mind where she could feel many emotions at one time. Worry, happiness, excitement, and wonder for the city ahead of her, for the man next to her, for herself.

"Exactly what do you want to see, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. He was in heaven. Kagome's small and soft hands fit perfectly in his, he never wanted to let go. She was perfect in the streetlights, an angel walking amongst sinners on the Manhattan streets.

"Well, even though I've been here for two years, I've never really seen the city. Mostly I was rehearsing or at parties, never actually seeing the city, ya know?" she said, looking up at him. He remembered that she had been in Broadway before the band.

"You don't seem much like a party girl, Kagome," he said, smiling. She smacked him playfully on the shoulder, making his heart soar.

"Dinner parties, Inuyasha. Things more like cocktails and banquets. I've been to quite a few socials for charity, actually," she said. This worried Inuyasha. How high class was Ms. Kagome Higurashi? Of course, price wasn't an issue. Inuyasha had more money than he knew what to do with it. But he wasn't a classy guy. His idea of a dinner party was a pizza and video games.

"How'd you get invited to these sorts of things?" Inuyasha asked.

"My, uh, significant other usually brought me. We went to more socials than I can count, now that I think about it. I was on his tuxedo-clad arm a lot," she said, frowning. Now he was worried. He hadn't known Kagome was in a relationship. Suddenly everything seemed wrong. He shouldn't have been holding her hand; he shouldn't have been thinking these thoughts, albeit a little lecherous, but mostly pure, about her. _She's taken._

"But I haven't been in a formal dress in a while, since it ended. Actually, I didn't really like them all that much, but I was constantly at places like the Velvet room or the Grand Ballroom. The White House has some of the nicest staff you'd ever meet, you know, and…I'm sorry, I'm going on and on about something so stupid." She blushed.

"Don't be," he said, stopping. _Since it ended._ She was single. People rushed past them, but Inuyasha couldn't see them. "I like hearing your voice," he said. She smiled and he blushed.

"Well, what about you? How long have you been in the city? I mean, it seems like you guys know the area pretty well." He led her into a small alcove, opening the door quickly for her to enter.

"I've been here for a couple years, I guess. This is where we got our start, as a band I mean," he said, walking up to a couch. The large room was dark, and the scent of coffee was everywhere. A woman came up in a smock and asked them for drink orders. Inuyasha asked for coffee, black, and Kagome asked for iced mocha. They sat and Kagome looked at Inuyasha.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"The Hard Bean Underground. I love this place." Kagome looked around at all the other couches are easy chairs. There were people reading, writing, couples making out, but there was a stage with a woman on a stool, reading. "It is mostly just a place to hang out, but people come to read poetry."

Inuyasha was worried. He had brought this amazing woman to his secret place, his guilty pleasure. He just hoped she didn't think he was a nerd for liking poetry.

"Have you ever been up there before?" she asked. He was about to answer when the waitress came with their drinks. She took a sip. "Oh my God, this is THE greatest coffee I've ever had."

"So you're not going to dump it on me?" Inuyasha joked. Kagome frowned and took another sip, looking at her lap. "Kagome?"

"I'm sorry that I did that Inuyasha…I'm sorry about everything did," she said quietly. Inuyasha saw a tear land in her coffee.

"Kagome, please, don't cry," he said. _Damn it, I hurt her._ Her cupped her face in his hands, both of them perfectly healed. "Kagome, look at me," he said. She kept her gaze down. "Kagome, please, look at me," he whispered. She did. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm ruining it, making this whole night suck. I'm just-," She stopped talking. He pressed her against him, in his own way trying to bring her comfort.

"Please don't cry, don't be sad. I…I don't want to see you cry," he said. She relaxed against him when she felt cool air across her back. She looked beyond Inuyasha at the door to see that it had opened.

_Oh my God…_

He felt her stiffen in his arms.

"Kagome? What is it?" he asked. He pulled away, looking at the girl. "What's wrong?"

"I…I need to use the ladies room," she said. He pointed in another direction and she stood up, walking to the double doors in the back of the room. He followed.

"It's been a while, Kagome," he said. Kagome looked back to see a depressed Inuyasha staring into his coffee. "Imagine my surprise seeing you here."

"You're following me, Naraku?" It wasn't a question.

"Word is that your working on an album, isn't that right Kagome? How is the recording studio? You've never been in one, so I imagine that it is pretty exciting for you," He said. His red eyes looked her over, and she felt nervous under his gaze.

"Please, leave me alone, Naraku. I've moved on, and you need to go," she said. He backed her against the wall, placing his hand son both sides of her head, trapping her.

"Think you can tell me what to do now, whore?" He placed one hand on her hip and the other on her chin, making her look him straight in the eye. "You're still mine. Don't you forget that, bitch," He kissed her lips hard and rough, making her feel queasy. He eased away from her and slapped her butt, pleased. Then he left.

Kagome leaned against the cool wall, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. She gave herself a few moments to gather herself before she went back to Inuyasha. _So, now I'm being stalked._ She wiped her eyes and walked back over to Inuyasha, feigning a smile. He smiled back up at her.

"You alright? You were in there for a while," he asked, genuinely concerned. She felt her heart break. How could she possibly bring Inuyasha into this? It wouldn't be fair for her to expect him to take a girlfriend who was being watched by someone like Naraku. She was falling in love but she had to stop before she hurt him.

"Yeah, there was a line," she lied. She sat down and played with her hands in her lap, not wanting to lock eyes with Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked at her, skeptical.

"You sure?" he asked, worried. He placed his hand on hers, stopping their movement. She blushed, noting where his hands were. _No, I won't do this. I can't do this to him._

"God, I said there was a line, so there was a line, okay?" she said. She made sure to raise her voice, causing a few people to look their way.

"Geez, keep it down, will ya?" he asked, waving away anyone's concern. "I only wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, I don't need your concern, Inuyasha," she said. Every word broke her heart. It was like someone was shredding it into confetti, tearing each piece smaller and smaller, until it was so tiny she couldn't feel it anymore. Kagome took Inuyasha's hands and put them in the space between them. She stood up, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "I want to go."

"Kagome, come on," he said, reaching for her hand. The night was falling apart so fast. He was just making a connection with her, and suddenly she was upset. "No one get pissed off so quickly, now tell me what's wrong," he said.

"Inuyasha, back off!" she said, pushing him away. She dashed for the door, pulling it open and running into the busy New York sidewalk, hoping for a crowd of people to carry her away. She had no such luck.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, chasing after her. "Kagome, are you insane?" he asked, grabbing her wrist. He shoved his way past a few people, ignoring their protests. He pulled Kagome into a rough embrace, holding her against him as she struggled. "Kagome, stop it," he shouted. Eventually she stilled, crying into his chest.

"Kagome, I don't know what happened in there, and if you don't want to tell me, fine." He pulled away slightly so he could look at her. Her face was red, her eyes swollen from crying. "But don't punish yourself. I…I want to spend time with you, outside of work. I find you…uh, well, I find you-"

"I like you too, Inuyasha. But…I have baggage, and I don't want you to carry it for me. I think it would be best if we were friends," she said, pulling away from him. She smiled up at his frown, faking it all the way. _I love you._

"Oh, okay, yeah," he said, faking a smile back at her. _My heart has never hurt so much before._

"Hey friend, you want to get some pizza?" she asked, grabbing his hand. _I want to be with you so much._ She began walking, leading him along the busy city street.

"Sure, friend. I'd like that," he said. _I want to kiss you so badly._

They walked along the streets, making small talk late into the night, thinking the same thing:

_I can do this. I won't fall in love with you, no matter how much it hurts._

_

* * *

_

**Duckgirl566: Comment please!**

**Ducky alter ego: Or we will be the living tar out of you!**

**Duckgirl566: Ducky, I thought we had a talk about the whole making threats thing.**

**Ducky alter ego: Okay, so we won't beat you. We just won't like you.**

**Duckgirl566: Not the best, but an improvement.**


	11. Wish Upon a Star

**Duckgirl566: Hey, I don't own Inuyasha in any way and I've never claimed to. Rumiko Takahashi can keep him.**

* * *

Kagome opened the door to Sango's apartment, trying to be as quiet as she could. It was seven in the morning, much later than she had expected to be out with Inuyasha. She was sure she had circles under her eyes, and her hair was probably a mess, but all Kagome wanted to do was go to sleep for a few days. She smiled at the memory of the night, laughing with Inuyasha as they made their way from place to place, as each coffee shop, pizza place, or bar closed. Eventually they decided they needed to sleep before the police came searching for them.

"Sango!" Kagome heard her roommate's name shouted across the apartment. Suddenly a woman who was screaming in a language she didn't understand was beating Kagome with a magazine.

"Sango, help!" Kagome shouted, trying to doge the old woman's attacks. "Sango!"

* * *

"I'm sorry Kagome, Mutti didn't know who you were, that's all," Sango explained, pouring her friend a cup of coffee. The old woman had retreated to the stove, glancing back at Kagome with embarrassment.

"It's okay," Kagome said. "Did you tell her she's forgiven?" She looked over at the woman bent over the stove, cooking up a storm. She was round and looked like she was soft in a hug. But "soft" was not how Kagome would have described her when they first met.

"What is she making?" Kagome asked. She sniffed the air, weary of the odor of cabbage and meat of some kind.

"Some German dish," Sango said. "That's what she was yelling at you in, German. That's my mother's side of the family. Have you ever seen Germany, Kagome? The Frankfurt train station is gorgeous, and-"

"Sango! Du hilfst mir mit Abendessen, bitte," the mother called from the kitchen. Sango rolled her eyes.

"She wants me to help with dinner, excuse me." Sango went to her mother's side. "Muti, Was muss ich machen?"

Kagome watched mother and daughter work side by side. Sango smiled at her mother. The older woman, who seemed so cold at first, smiled back and spoke in such a soft tone. The German language was suddenly so beautiful. Kagome had always thought it sounded loud and bossy, from hearing on television, but it was suddenly a language that meant something.

Kagome wondered what they were saying as she went to her room. She picked up the phone and dialed a number that she realized she needed to look up. She suddenly knew that she didn't dial that number nearly as often as she should have.

"Hello? Hi Mommy, I'm fine…how are you?"

* * *

Inuyasha groaned as sunlight assaulted his eyes. He sat up and fell onto the floor, yelping at the cold hardwood.

"Wakey, Wakey!" Miroku cheered, open the blinds on a few more windows. Inuyasha snarled. He looked up the man who was laughing.

"What the fuck are you dressed up for?" Inuyasha asked. Miroku turned around, revealing the pressed white shirt and tie. Inuyasha started laughing, but Miroku ignored him and began to hum Baa-Baa-Black Sheep. "What the hell's gotten…holy shit, you have to visit with Sango's family today, don't you?"

Miroku stopped throwing dirty dishes in to sink in the kitchen. "Oh no, just her mother," he said, and resumed his song.

"That's the worst of the lot!" Inuyasha howled. He would have fallen of the bed in laughter if he hadn't fallen when he first woke up.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, why don't you just shut up and put some pants on? God, I've seen too many of my friends naked lately."

* * *

Sango sighed as the door to her mother's room shut. She sank down into the sofa next to Kagome who couldn't help but giggle. Miroku was scowling in a chair, holding an ice pack on his head. They were silent for a few moments until they all heard a snore resonate from the older woman.

"Dear God," Miroku groaned. Sango went over and sat on his lap.

"Has the swelling gone down at all?" she asked, moving the ice pack. She grimaced and placed it back.

"I guess that's a no," Kagome said. "Your mom has a pretty good arm, Sango." She began giggling out loud. Even an idiot could tell that Mrs. Huruka didn't like Miroku. But to her surprise, Miroku had kept his hands to himself for most of the night. It was when he thought Mrs. Huruka wasn't looking that he pinched Sango's butt.

He never saw that apple coming. Or that glass. Or that toaster.

"Well, I'm leaving," Miroku said. Sango stood up and kissed him. Kagome left to go to her room, giving the couple some privacy. She closed the door, and looked out the large windows, loving Manhattan at night. She gazed out at the stars and sighed, before squinting. In the very corner of the sky, tucked away like a little girl's secret, was a shooting star.

Kagome made the wish she had been dreaming of since she fell head over feet.

She wished her feelings away.

* * *

Inuyasha went over the chords, wanting to make everything in his new song sound just right.

"And you'll be amazed at the secrets I keep. You'll be amazed at my mouth full of lies," he sang, "But I'm too afraid to come clean, cause my life's the flame in a house of cards."

He scribbled out the words on the page, only to rewrite them. He'd been working on the song for only an hour, but it was already becoming a burden. He tossed a pillow across the room, trying to rid his mind of its frustrations. He looked back to when writing was simple, without the pressure of record sales. Back to when it was just Miroku, Sango, and he. He remembered back to before he met Sango, when Billy was their drummer, before the cancer.

Cancer…

Inuyasha thought back to Billy Rodgers, back to when things were simple, before he died.

But that cancer plagued his thoughts…

"Here's to you, Billy," his whispered in the night, picking up a fresh notepad and a dull pencil.

* * *

**Duckgirl566: Ich liebe reviews!!**

**Ducky alter ego: You're just looking for reasons to show off, aren't you???**

**Duckgirl566: Ich schreibe Deutsch nicht gut. I mag Deutsch sprechen!!!!!!**

**Ducky alter ego: Basically, she loves reviews. She doesn't write in German well, but she likes to speak it. The goal is to write an entire fanfic in German.**

**Duckgirl566: Ich muss viel Deutsch lernen!!!**

**Ducky alter ego: She must learn a lot of German. Anyway, if anyone is fluent in German, don't be offended is she screws up. And don't count on 100 perfect spelling. Microsoft Word doesn't check German grammar. And since their is no magic online translator, she is armed only with two year sin the U.S. public school system. God help us.

* * *

****Some translations:**

**_Mutti _or _Mutti_**

**Mommy. I'll check the spelling and change things later.**

_**Du hilfst mir mit Abendessen, bitte.**_

**You help me with dinner, please. **

_**Muti, Was muss ich machen?**_

**Mommy, what must I do?**


	12. In For A Show Tonight

**Duckgirl566: I'm sooo excited for Sunday!**

**Ducky alter ego: It's your birthday!!!!**

**Duckgirl566: -- does a happy dance --**

* * *

They crowded outside of the door, only a little worried of what was on the other side.

"Guys, this is mean," Sango whispered. She grabbed Miroku's hand and gave him the do-this-and-you're-not-getting-any-for-a-month look. "Seriously, he'll be in a really crappy mood if we do this. I am _not _going to spend the whole day with thisp-ohed jerk in the studio, not way."

"Sango, I think you're failing to see exactly how funny this will be," Miroku said. He slowly opened the bedroom door, peeking around to see Inuyasha spread eagle on his bed. Kagome blushed. Sango contained a giggle. Miroku smiled. "Okay, Kagome, now go in between his legs and-"

"Don't. Even. Think about it," Inuyasha snarled. Keeping his eyes closed, he pointed to a table in the corner of his room, covered in papers. His computer that printed music was still on and warm to the touch. His guitar wasn't put back in its case.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said, standing straight, "when did you go to sleep?" She felt his forehead with the back of her hand, blushing even more when she noticed he was only in boxers.

"What time is it?" he growled, trying to not whimper at her touch. He had been having a pleasant dream, and the woman that haunted it was standing over him with concern. _Down boy, she's not yours,_ He thought, hoping his dick got the message.

"Like, eight in the morning," Sango said. "You room is such a sty, Inuyasha. Seriously, you have the money to hire help, so why don't you?" Sango continued her lecture while Inuyasha blatantly ignored her.

"I passed out, like, four hours ago," he said, sitting up. Kagome immediately pushed him back into a lay-down position. She closed the blinds and began to shove Miroku and Sango out of the room.

"You'll get sick without sleep, Inuyasha. Miroku, would you put that down so we can leave him alone?"

Miroku didn't respond as he read the words scribbled on the yellow pages, glancing at the music that was still pouring from the printer.

"Inuyasha…this is amazing…you wrote all of this last night?" He asked. Inuyasha tried to sit up again, only to be shoved again.

"Yes, and would you stop that?" Miroku stepped past kagome to Inuyasha's side. "Is any of it any good?"

"Good? Inuyasha, this is pretty good stuff…I mean, we'll have to go over it, but…wow…we must celebrate." Miroku stood up, and hugged Sango. "We are leaving to get some champagne. Inuyasha, clean yourself up. We'll meet you at the studio." And they were gone.

Inuyasha stood up, yanking his knit cap tighter onto his head while he pulled on a pair of jeans that might have been clean. He looked up and saw Kagome. Her eyes were closed so tight they must have been hurting.

"Everything impressive is covered, you can open your eyes," he said. She blushed and opened her eyes.

"Inuyasha? Can…can I ask you something?" she paged through the music that had stopped coming from the printer. It really _was _good.

"I think you already are." He smiled and tied his shoes, his t-shirt rising up his back as he bent over. Kagome noticed his muscles moves as they were exposed. She blushed again, shaking her head of all the lustful thoughts going through her mind. "What's up?"

"Um…where do you get the inspiration for all of these songs? I mean, you seem like a pretty good guy and they are normally such, uh, dark lyrics. It seems like a very pained person wrote these and…" she was at a loss for words. Inuyasha stood up next to her, his body only inches from her own. She could feel his body heat. Quickly the lecherous part of her brain realized he was just in a thin t-shirt. If she would get close enough, she could feel his muscles. A heat rushed to her cheeks immediately.

"Well, maybe you don't know me as well as you think. Perhaps and I'm terribly depressed, a suicide waiting to happen. I could be ready to go slit my wrists, and I'm just waiting for one more person to piss me off until I go completely psycho," he whispered. Inuyasha moved even closer, making Kagome back up until she ran into the wall. He put a hand on the wall next to her head on both sides. He moved impossibly close. Kagome wasn't sure where he stopped and she began. He moved his mouth dangerously close to her ear. Kagome could feel his hot breath against her ear. "Or maybe I'm faking it."

Suddenly she realized she didn't need eyes to know Inuyasha was near. Her body was reacting in a way it never had to a man. It knew that a man was close, and maybe a little too close. But her heart enjoyed him so near. Her head was screaming to run, but she didn't want to.

She trusted him. Her body was saying 'Please kiss me, I want you so bad,' but her head shouted 'Don't, you'll get hurt again. Or worse, you'll hurt him.' Inuyasha kissed the outside of her ear, moving down to nip at her neck. Kagome could help her self. Her hands wrapped around his waist and she pulled away from the wall a little. Her vision was fuzzy, and she couldn't think.

Inuyasha pulled back from Kagome, only to press his lips against hers. He moved her against the wall, running his hands up and down her body. Kagome shuddered. His kiss went quickly from simple to hot and passionate. Inuyasha ran his hands through her hair, making Kagome moan into his mouth. Kagome felt her self begin the move with Inuyasha, proceeding to move farther and faster.

_I am making out with the hottest guy_ ever_…except maybe Fabio, but whatever._

Inuyasha felt Kagome's body, loving the feel of her against him. She was in his arms, responding, something he only dreamt of. She was moaning, even though they hadn't gone very far. Inuyasha knew she was _not_ the kind of girl that would know what she was doing. Kagome was the kind of girl that blushed at a dirty joke, that laughed when someone feel while she helped them up, that baked cookies from scratch, that couldn't keep her eyes open during sex, but would sure as Hell try.

She was perfect.

_And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she knows it._

_

* * *

_

No, they did not have sex. They were saved by Inuyasha's cell phone. The annoying ring made Kagome pull back, giving her a second to remember her values…and her vow.

Now she sat on the floor of the recording booth, watching Inuyasha play. He was sweating a little, his brow furrowed.

"I never said this would be easy. I let her go, when she said, she was leaving. So whisper softly and don't forget…to tell me how you feel in five words or less," he sang. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. She heard Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha perform "Language Lessons" at least fifteen times, although she thought it was perfect the first time.

She opened her eyes to see Inuyasha was looking at her. She blushed and turned away, but not before she saw his arrogant smirk as he continued playing.

They went through track after track, until Kagome suddenly found herself with headphones and Inuyasha standing next to her, playing on his guitar. She tapped her foot, waiting for the cue.

"My hands are searching for you. My arms are outstretched towards you. I feel you on my fingertips, my tongue dances behind my lips for you," she sang. She could feel Inuyasha's gaze on her back, burning holes in her. "This fire rising through my being, burning I'm not used to seeing you."

She just sang the song Inuyasha wrote, grateful it was in her range. She remembered that moment in the practice room, how she was so raw in front of him. She let that come out in her voice. She let Inuyasha make her singing emotional and thoughtful.

* * *

Kagome scooted closer to the window in the booth they sat in. She was trying to not get too close to Inuyasha since what happened. They had kissed only three days before, and she had yet to talk to him about it. They'd been with each other almost 24/7 in the studio, the entire production team in a rush to finish the album in time. But she could feel his gaze on her, how he stood just a little too close to her, and how her breath quickened when he walked into the room.

Suddenly her dress was too tight, her hair was too perfect, and Inuyasha was too close and far away all at the same time.

"Well," Miroku said, raising his glass of wine, "here's to our last night before shooting music videos constantly for the next week." They all raised their glasses with him. Sango had explained to Kagome that she would sing the same song almost 100 times during the video process, just to make one video. Kagome did the math, and she'd be singing four songs 100 times each. Her voice was trained for the work, though. Plus Inuyasha would be taking the brunt of it, singing the other eight tracks on his own.

"Did you learn the dance routine from Galina today, Kagome?" Sango asked after their orders had been taken. The waiter was French, and the menu was in French, so that whole process was too much for Kagome's fried brain. But she never would have guessed Sango would be fluent in French, too. Kagome wondered exactly how many languages her new friend could speak.

"Yeah, and it's not too bad. I've never tap danced on top of an alter before, but she said it would look pretty cool," Kagome said. Sango smiled. It had been great for the music video that the group now had a professional dancer.

"Keh, stupid music videos are so annoying," Inuyasha said, flinging a crumb off the table with his finger. Even though he was in a suit, he _still_ had a knit cab on his head. Kagome wondered for a second if he would have taken it off if they hadn't been interrupted…

"Oh please, Inuyasha," Miroku said, interrupting Kagome's thoughts, "You're just not looking forward to dressing up like a priest. But you love it."

Kagome just thanks God she wouldn't be dress like a Catholic schoolgirl. _Where the Hell did _that_ come from?_ She wondered. Little did she know, Inuyasha was thinking the same thing. Except he knew exactly where the thought came from, and he thanked that place very much.

"Keh, whatever," Inuyasha snorted. He looked around the restaurant, trying to not across the table where Miroku was giving him the 'you are so stupid' look. Even if Kagome hadn't gotten the chance to speak with Inuyasha, Miroku had.

Sango felt the tension at the table and cleared her throat. The next few weeks would be long…

"Why the fuck are you looking at me like that, Miroku?"

Too long.

* * *

Kagome stared at the television a month later.

"_Three videos on our countdown today. It seems that Black Out's newest addition is really heating things up for the band. Well, here's there newest video here on TRL, 'I Constantly Thank God For Esteban' at number four," _said the VJ. Inuyasha appeared at the front of a church at a modest podium. A group of people filled the pews as children of God would on a Sunday morning. Suddenly, standing in his silence, Inuyasha's face grew angry and hot. The music started.

"Give us this day our daily dose of faux affliction. Forgive our sins, forged at the pulpit with forked tongues selling faux sermons," he sang. Long legs in black heels standing in front of the parish door in the back began walking towards the front of the church, viewers of the video not knowing to whom they belonged. As the chorus began, those legs jumped onto the altar, kicked over assorted items, and in her blasphemous act, began tap dancing.

It was Kagome.

Kagome sat back into the plush couch of Sango's apartment, watching the video. As it ended, the TRL studio came back on the screen. The audience was screaming, and she finally felt…famous.

* * *

**Duckgirl566: Hope the chapter was worth the wait. If it wasn't, well, screw you.**

**Ducky alter ego: Reviews for the birthday girl!**


	13. Drowning On Air

Inuyasha tugged at his tie, uncomfortable in his formal wear. The jet-black suit looked good, but it certainly wasn't what he would have normally worn. His red knit cap matched his tie. Miroku said that he couldn't play the cool rock star card tonight and wear jeans and a faded t-shirt, as this was more formal than the Grammy's.

Inuyasha lifted the hat off his head, and in the mirror he saw the two furry ears on top of his head swivel, listening to the sound outside the bathroom in Sango's apartment. He breathed, letting himself be comfortable for a moment before he had to replace the hat. His claws weren't big deal, kept trimmed of course, and his eye color could just be contacts or a rare trait, but his ears…they were different.

Miroku knocked and opened the door.

"Hey, the girls are almost done, okay?" he said. His smiled was cut short when he saw Inuyasha without his hat on. "Letting them out for some air?" Miroku and Sango, along with his family were the only people who knew about Inuyasha being a half demon.

"Yeah, just letting myself get comfortable for a sec," Inuyasha said, placing the knit cap back on his head. "It gets really hot under these damn things."

Miroku looked at the floor and then back up at his best friend. "She would understand, you know. Not all women are-"

"Don't you mother-fucking start, Miroku," Inuyasha said, turning around. His gold eyes sparkled as he suddenly became livid. "It's not…I mean, I know she wouldn't care. But it's not that…"

"Then what the fuck is it?" Miroku asked, his own voice gaining an edge. "We've been friends forever, and I still don't get you. This could be something important, something good, and you're letting that bitch control you, even though she's bee gone for a year-"

"Sally's…Kikyo was at Sally's…she said some shit that wasn't true, but…"

"It's all that shit we used to do, isn't it?" Miroku asked. He clenched his fists, angry at his past and himself. In an instant, it all came rushing back to him. From that first joint shared amongst "friends" to a few acid trips every now and again, to needles and secrets. They would go for days not knowing where they were, and eating everything in sight.

Miroku tried not to think about all the brain cells fried, or how many times he came close to dying. He'd never forgot that day when he went to Inuyasha with a sandwich baggie filled with something evil, and it would almost ruin their lives.

"Fuck, Inuyasha," he said, "We haven't done anything since…God, three years we've been clean. Unless…"

"NO!" Inuyasha said. He leaned against the wall and sank down. "Not even Tylenol…it just reminds me of all that shit…God, remember when we thought the cops were coming to our hotel room in Jersey? And when we flushed all that coke down the toilet? God, must have been at least 1,500 dollars worth. I can't believe we paid so much to do such shit."

Miroku smiled. "But that was really long time ago, Inuyasha. We're better now. Kagome doesn't know junkie Inuyasha, she knows…well, she knows what you've let her know."

Miroku left with a soft click of the door going back into it's closed position. Inuyasha replaced his hat and took a deep breath. Was it really so obvious? Was his attraction to Kagome, despite his efforts, easily seen?

_She knows…well, she knows what you've let her know._

"I'll tell her," he whispered to himself.

* * *

Kagome sipped from her champagne flute lightly. It was strange to be back in that party setting, wearing a gown that was too expensive, shoes that fit her feet in an uncomfortable yet fashionable way, and walking amongst some rich and talented, and ever richer and not-so-talented people.

It was weird to not have a darker force at her side. She sipped her drink a little faster at the memories that decided to invade her thoughts.

"Oh my gosh, that's soooo cute!" Diana Marcuso exclaimed. Kagome recognized her as the bass player from The Hopefuls. She had Sango's hand on both of hers, looking at her engagement ring from Miroku. Diana was just one of the music business' super stars at the benefit Black was attending. Kagome had been keeping to Inuyasha's side all night, hoping not to run into too many people. "That is like, the most perfect ring ever. So sweet."

Kagome turned back to her escort for the night. Inuyasha was speaking with someone from Linkin Park, she couldn't remember the name of the individual. She watched him converse with a friend, and she couldn't help but notice his face, every movement of his skin.

"No way, man, that's defiantly the way to go. Just forget the sound you're used to and write," Inuyasha said. "I could never get shit done thinking that way." And with a nod of their heads, the conversation was over. He turned to her and smiled. "Whoa, done already?" he said, motioning to her glass. She looked down and saw that it was in deed empty. _When did that happen?_ She thought. "Thought you weren't really a drinker," he said.

"I'm not," she said, grabbing his hand. She noticed that the area of the grand ballroom they were in seemed a little deserted. They stood behind a large pillar, blocking them from the views of many celebrities. "I'm just nervous, that's all."

"Don't be, please," he said, kissing her cheek lightly. It was the closest physically since that moment in his room. She blushed and stepped away from him. Kagome couldn't help herself. She glanced around them, looking for the one she feared. "Kagome…what are we doing?"

She whipped her head around to face him. "What?"

"What are we? First we fight, then flirt, get this close to fucking…what are we?" he asked. He sounded frustrated and she cringed. She hadn't wanted to upset him. She never did.

"I don't know," she whispered. She grasped both his hands. _Take the plunge! _"But I care about you, I really do. I want to be with you, but I have some…regrets that I can't burden you with," she explained. She was caught off guard with a desperate, quick kiss.

"You have no idea about regrets, Kagome. You have no clue," he said, kissing her again. She closed her eyes and let him kiss her. Her mind felt fuzzy from their heat and the alcohol, causing her to forget who might be watching, who could see that she was with someone else.

"Official?" she whimpered against his lips. He smiled and laughed lightly.

"Official," he said, pulling her back in.

* * *

"So I told him that if he wanted any before his next movie came out he'd have to get a new gardener for those bushes. Like I'd let him near mine if he didn't care of things?"

A few of the women in the small clique laughed softly at the joke, Kagome pretended along side Sango. The older woman looked at her friend and noticed her discomfort.

"Excuse me ladies," Sango said, "but I need to run off to the little girls' room. Excuse us." She grabbed Kagome's hand and led her away to a restroom. The only other person in the room was a cleaning attendant. Sango opened up her clutch and began fixing her make up. "Okay, so you were glowing back there. What's up?"

Kagome opened her own clutch and pulled out her lip gloss.

"Inuyasha kissed me…and I kissed him back. We're official," she said. Sango sighed. She closed her clutch with a snap and turned to face her friend.

"Thank God," she said. She opened her arms for a hug and Kagome found shelter in her friend's arms. "I'm assuming this happened tonight. Seriously, it took you guys long enough. Just don't hump like monkeys when we're on tour, okay?" Sango released her friend, both in giggles. "You're crying," she said. "What is it?"

"I just…"Kagome thought back to their first not-date, "I'm just so happy, that's all." Sango smiled. In the mirror Kagome could see the bathroom attendant smile at the scene. "You go back out there. I just need to fix my face, I'll be out in a sec." Sango went back to the party, leaving Kagome alone to do her touch ups in the glamorous bathroom. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"You know, you have this nasty habit of acting like a whore, Kagome. I never thought you'd turn into such a little slut."

Her eyes opened wide. Kagome screamed against the hand that covered her mouth, thrashing with all she was against the rock hard body that drowned her, bring her fears to life.

_He saw us._


End file.
